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If you are a sailing enthusiast, bringing your kids on board with you will make each trip that much more meaningful. Family activity holidays spent on the water can be a wonderful way for you to instil a love for sailing to your children which will stay with them for years to come. If you are wondering how to get your little ones interested in sailing, here are some tips. Spark Their Interest Start by exposing your young ones to the sailing lifestyle as early as possible. Take them sailing with you on family activity holidays to get them accustomed to being out on the water. Bring them with you to sailing clubs so they are around other sailors and get them involved in any social activities for little ones that may be offered. Consider enrolling your kids in sailing school. Not only will they learn the “ins and outs” of sailing and boat safety, they will be around other children who are also learning to sail! Meeting new friends who have the same hobby will give them something in common with other young ones of their age, and it could very well be the thing that gets them excited about sailing the most. Make sure your little ones are taking swimming lessons to ensure they learn basic swimming strokes, safety, how to float, tread water and to be comfortable around water. Any fears they may have about being on a boat out at sea may be alleviated if they know they will be okay, should they fall into the water. Of course, they will have a certified life jacket on at all times as well! Make it Fun! Turn family activity holidays out at sea into a fun learning opportunity by teaching your kids about various topics related to sailing, such as weather patterns and how wind affects sailing. Help them learn basic directions and how to know the direction in which the boat is sailing. Point out the star constellations at night and have fun identifying them together. For wee ones, bedtime stories about sailing adventures and plastic or rubber boats at bath time may ignite imaginations towards wanting to be just like the characters in their favourite books! When packing for a sailing adventure, pack your children’s favourite snacks for the trip - preferably food items they don’t get to indulge in often. This will have them looking forward to sailing with the family even more! Stay at Their Pace Some kids will take to sailing more easily and enthusiastically than others, the same as with any other family activity. Holidays spent sailing are sure to go smoother if you allow your children to develop sailing skills at their own pace, always keeping the day light and fun. It’s a sport that may not be love at first sight with everyone, but one they most likely will come back to later in life, if not sooner. Richard Edwards is the Managing Director of Summit & Blue, an adventure holiday company offering independently crafted family activity holidays to exciting destinations around the world, including France, Italy, Portugal, the USA and Canada. With unique itineraries and exciting activities like biking, hiking, white water rafting and canoeing, we create holidays for those looking for an experience a little more off the beaten track.
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